Surfacing material and process of producing the same.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL A. POPKESS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SURFACING MATEIRTAL AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL A. Pornnss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented new' and useful Improvements in Surfacing Material and Process of Producing the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a process of producing a water-proof surfacing material, suitable for use in paving roadways, etc., by combining. in the manner hereinafter specitied, ordinary soil, clay or loam, as distinguished from crushed stone, gravel or sand, with a bituminous asphaltic binder, and in the resulting material which is homogeneous, dense yet malleable and water-proof, and hence forms an ideal yet economical material forthe purposes intended. Heretofore paving or surfacing materials of this generalcl-ass have been formed of rock, crushed stone, gravel or sand, or combinations of those substances, which have, of course, to

be specially prepared and conveyed to the place of use, and are then mixed with a binder, such as asphalt or other bituminous It has always been an accepted such material in place, and because it .becomes dusty in dry weather and muddy in wet Weather.

My invention consists in taking such earthy material and a bituminous binder: and combining .them in such a way as to form' a waterproof substance, which, when compacted by pressure, is homogeneous,--coherent, dense yet malleable, absolutely dust less under friction, and practically indestructible. As I have stated, surfacing materials of this class, have been usually formed of rock, crushed stone, gravel or sand, or combinations of those substances, mixed with a binder, such as asphalt or other bituminous substance, but, in such cases the particles of rock or sand,iwhether large or very fine, are simply coated with the binder,

which isheld inranfree state in the interstices betiveenthe-'Jparticles of road metal, and becomes hard and brittle'in winter and soft in summer The binder so held soon wears away, especially under resent conditions of rapid automobile tra 0, leaving the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 1, 1910. Serial No. 595,109.

Patented Nov. 14:, 1911.

thereon. but experience has shown that only an imperfect admixture is obtained in that way, and that the surface is not durable, the

,. oil only serving asa temporary dust layer.

The earth. soil or loam, composing the surface of ordinary roadways, contains a large amount of moisture, in other words, is cold and damp, and, consequently, the bitumi nous'binder, when the sprinkling method is followed, chills and congeals as soon as it comes into contact with the earthy material, the result of which is to cause it to mix-unevenly with said material, so t aat the resultant surface is more or less ununiform, some portions having sufficient or too much binder and other portions having none .or too little. In order to obtain a unifioi'm and complete impregnation of the binder, I have discovered that the earthy material, iiiust'be substantially free from stone, gravel or sand, must be thoroughly dried,'an'd inacdition, must be hotand in a finely divided, practically dust-like state when the binder is introduced. -Even ordinary loam or clay' can notbe properly impregnated with the finely divided and binder unless first ver unless in a substantial y dry condition, because otherwise it will simply ball 'up into lumps which "become coated with the binder, and there will not be'a thorough and even incorporation or impregnation of the binder.

In contradistinction to the fact, above mentioned, that the binder merely coats particles of stone and sand, being held in a free state, -I have discovered t-hat When a bituminous binder is incorporated with or dinary soil, loam orcla'y, substantially free from sand and the like, and practically all in'the form of dry dust, it becomes, after being compacted, a homogeneous, coherent substance, the binder being no longerin the free state, butincorporated in sucha way that it is not affected by or caused 50 oo'ze out under the heat of the sun. The conse-- .q'uenc -is that a surfacing material com- .posed of this substance isnotonly waterroof anddustless, presenting a smooth and dense surface, but will not soften under heat and retains its original form permanently.

The process which I have just described is independent of any particular machine or apparatus for carrying it out, but, for commercial urposes, it is desirable to use a machine w ich can be easily transported to or near to the place where-the material is to be used.

It "is desirable, I have found, that the earthy material shouldbe so broken up or finely divided, as' by repeated violent impact, that the particles will be reduced to substantially'the form of flying dust, and the binder may be sprayed into the material while in such form, although this is not a necessary step in the process in order to obtain the desired result.

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim is g 1.- The process of producing a homogeneous, water-proof and malleable material, suitable for surfacing roadways and the like,

which consists in taking ordinary soil, loam or clay, substantially free from sand and gravel, subjecting it to a disintegrating treatment, which reduces it to the fineness of dust, and impregnating it with a bituminous 4 .binder, yvhereby the binder is absorbed by "the'dust and the resulting material, after compacting, contains no free binder and will' not crack or disintegrate under traflic;

' 2. The process ofproducing a homogene- Y vous,'water-proof and malleable mater1al,suitous, w'ater-prodf and malleable material, suitable for surfacing roadways and the like, which consists in taking ordinary soil, loam or clay, substantially free from sand and gravel, subjecting it to a disintegrating action and at the same time to heat, thereby reducing it tothe condition of fine dust, and impregnating it with a: bituminous binder, whereby the binder is absorbed by the dust and the resulting material, after compacting, contains'no free binder and will not crack or disintegrate under traffic.

3. Theiprocess of producing 'a homogeneous, water-proof and malleable material, suit.-'

able for surfacing roadways and the like,

which consists intaking ordinary soil, loam.

or clay, substantially free from sand and. gravel, subjecting it to repeated violent imacts so as .to breakit up into fine dust, and impregnating it with a bituminous binder, whereby the binder is absorbed by the'dust and the resulting. material, after -compacting, contains no free binder and will not crack or disintegrate under traflic.

4. The process of producingahomogeneous, water-proof andmalleable material, su itable for surfacing roadways and the like, which consists in takin ordinary soil, loam or clayfsubstantially ee from sand and gravel, subjecting it to repeated violent imways, etc., which consists in taking pacts inthe resence of heat, so as to break 1t up-into. no dust, and impregnating it with a bituminous binder, whereby the binder is absorbed by the dust-and the resulting material,'after compacting, contains no free binder and will not crack or disintegrate under trailic.

5.' The process of producing a homogene-. ous, water-proof and malleable material,--suitable for surfacing roadwa s and the like, which consists in takinor inary'soil, loam or clay, substantially, ree fromsand and gravel, subjecting it to a disinte ratin ac: tion which converts it into the fgrm 0% flying dust, and spraying it with a bituminous binder before it is allowed to settle, whereby the binder is absorbed by the-dust and the -'resulting material, after compacting, contains no free binder and will not crack or disintegrate under traflic.

6.- T e process of producing a homogeneous, water-proof and malleable material, suitable for surfacing roadways and the like, which consists in taking ordinary soil, loam or clay, substantially free from sand and gravel, subjecting it to a disintegrating action in the presence of heat whereby it is converted intothe form' of flying dust, and

spraying it with abituminous binder before it isfiallowed to settle, whereby the binder is absorbed by the dust and'the resulting ma-;

terial, after compacting, contains no free binderand will not crack or disintegrate urn der traflic. I

7. The process of producing a homogeneable for surfacing roadways, etc., which consists in taking earthy material substantially free from sand and the like, disintegrating it until it is reduced to a fine dust, mixing it with a liquid bituminousbinder and compacting it by pressure, whereby the material obtained forms a waterproof, dustless, homogeneous yet malleable coating, which. will not disintegrateor deteriorate under the influence of traflic' or temperature.

8. The process of producin a waterproof mat'erial, suitable for su acing road; ordi nary soil, loam or clay, subjecting 1t.to a disintegrating treatment which reduces 'it to that degree of fineness necessary for a thorough incorporation therewith and even distribution therethrough' of a liquefied bituminous. binder, impregnating it with such treatment to reduce it to such a degree of fineness as to render it capable of thorough incorporation with a liquefied bituminous binder im ating it evenly with such a" binder and suEj to pressure, whereb itis rendere coherent, homogeneous and ense yet malleable.-

eeting the resultin material 10. As-a new article of manufacture, a

watemproof {material suitable for use in surfacing roadways, and the like, the same 0 beiug oomposed solely of absorbent earth material, substantially free from sand and gravel and a liquefied bituminous binder, in-

timate y mixed and compacted together, the

earthy material being preriously' disintegrated'to such a de ee of fineness, as to render it capable of a sorbing and eoml: ining. with the binder to form a. coherent,

homogeneous, dense yet malleablehsubstan'ce' In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 2 nesses.

. MICHAEL POPKESVE.

Witnesses: h

R. W. MYERS, L. R WRIGHT. 

